Physics 280: Spring 2012 Reading Assignments

The reading assignments are to be completed by the dates listed in the table below. They may be the subjects of in-class questions for credit and questions on the Midterm and Final Examinations. Assignments to read documents with basic course information and documents about current events are posted in separate sections of the table. Please be sure to check both sections for new additions.

Due Date Assignment
Jan 19 Article 1, Part 4 of the Student Code
— Some Nuclear Policy and War Terms
— A More Effective Approach to US Security
Jan 24 The Last Train From Hiroshima: Chapter 1
— "Race for the Superbomb" Transcripts: Intro, Act I, Act II, Act III, Act IV
Jan 26 The Physics and Technology of Nuclear-Explosive Materials
— Use of Reactor-Grade and Weapons-Grade Plutonium in Nuclear Explosives
Jan 31 The Future of U.S. Nuclear Weapons
— Time to Attack Iran | Matthew Kroenig | Jan-Feb 2012 Foreign Affairs
— Not Time to Attack Iran | Colin H. Kahl | Jan-Feb 2012 Foreign Affairs
— Will Israel Attack Iran?
Feb 7 Envisioning a Deal With Iran
— Trading Threats With Iran
Feb 9 The Day After Midnight (Nuclear Weapon Effects)
— Environmental Consequences of Nuclear War
— Obama Backpedals on Nonproliferation
Feb 14 What Terrorists Want: Introduction, Chapters 1, 2, 3, & 4
Feb 16 What Terrorists Want: Chapters 5, 6, 7, & 8
— Calling It Jihad Makes It So
— War against Islam is a mistake
Feb 21 Nuclear Terrorism Fact Sheet
— Preventing Catastrophic Nuclear Terrorism [Click on the link "Nuclear Terrorism Csr (324K PDF)" at the lower left of this page to download the report]
— Securing the Bomb 2010
Feb 23 Connecting the counter-terrorism dots is hard
— Perfect protection against terrorism is impossible
— Don't panic. Fear is al-Qaeda's real goal
Mar 8 Global Fissile Material Stocks (2010 report by the Institute for Science and International Security)
— Hidden Travels of the Atomic Bomb
— Worldwide Nuclear Weapon Inventories (2011 report by the Arms Control Association)
Mar 10 Worldwide Ballistic Missile Inventories (2009 report by the Arms Control Association)
— Ballistic Missile Threat to the United States Through 2015 (December 2001 U.S. National Intelligence Estimate)
— The Ballistic Missile Threat (June 2001 report by Joseph Cirincione)
— Ballistic and Cruise Missile Threat (June 2009 NASIC Report)
Mar 27 History of Iran's nuclear energy program
— 2007 National Intelligence Estimate of Iran's Nuclear Program
— 2010 Unclassified Report on Iran's Nuclear and Missile Programs
— Iran's Outstanding Nuclear Issues at a Glance
— Evaluating Iran's missile threat
— Does Iran now have enough nuclear explosive material to make a bomb?
Mar 29 Chronology of U.S.-North Korean Nuclear and Missile Diplomacy
— North Korea's Nuclear Weapons Program
— Sig Hecker - What I found in Yongbyon and Why It Matters
— North Korean Missile Threat
Apr 3 U.S. Missile Defense Programs at a Glance
— The European Phased Adaptive Approach at a Glance
Apr 10 Frequently asked questions about the DPRK space launch attempt
Apr 12 A Technical Evaluation of the Operational-Effectiveness of the Planned US National Missile Defense
— The Delusion of Missile Defense
— October 2010 DSB Report - Midcourse Intercept is Infeasible
— FAS Fact Sheet on US Missile Defense Program in Europe
Apr 17 The Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) at a Glance
— The Nuclear Nonproliferation Regime
— U.S.-Russian Nuclear Arms Control Agreements at a Glance
— New START at a Glance
— Verification of New START
— Lugar - Romney misinformed on New START Treaty
— Latest US-Russian Arsenals under New START
— How to Build on the New START Treaty
Apr 19 The Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) at a Glance
— The US National Academy of Sciences 2012 Report on the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty
— Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty (FMCT) at a Glance
April 26 Toward True Security (UCS)
— 2010 Nuclear Posture Review Executive Summary
— What We Spend on Nuclear Weapons
May 1 President Obama's Prague speech on nuclear arms
— Kissinger, Shultz back Obama push to eliminate nuclear arms
— Deterrence in the Age of Nuclear Proliferation
— Nuclear Deterrence in a Changed World
— Fewer nukes, more security